Personal Meditation No. 53

"I am only the choices I make. My past, my present, and my future depend on what character I choose to embrace and what narrative I choose to tell."

Embrace the Within.

I am disappointed in some of my choices every day. Why wouldn’t I also be disappointed in the choices other people make? Neither of us are perfect. We are fallible and human. So don’t beat yourself up on your failures. Give yourself permission to be human.

There is no place better to test my patience than the roads in St. Mary’s County. When people get behind the wheel, the worst of their behaviors tend to manifest. Their true selfish nature and disregard for safety of others comes to the forefront of their behavior.

I find it increasingly difficult to not get angry at the behaviors that I see almost daily on the roads around here. Speed is always one concern but, as a former driving instructor, what concerns me even more is the disregard for the safety of self and others. People will follow closely, pass on the right, camp out in the passing lane, blow through stop signs, stop past the stop line, and a myriad of other unsafe driving behaviors that keep me on edge whenever I choose to leave the compound. This aggressive driving behavior is more of a concern for me than anything else.

Aggression itself is my concern and how people can allow themselves to become uncaring and selfish simply by getting behind a steering wheel. I get to choose how I drive. As we used to say in Driver’s Ed, “You drive the car. The car doesn’t drive you.” So, take control of yourself even when you want to blame the car.

There are a multitude of bells and whistles on new cars today in order to make things safer but none take the place of a sane and rational driver. Until we get to the day when the cars drive themselves, you still need to be in control of your mind, your self, and your car.

Your choices matter because you get to make them. No matter if it’s behind a screen, behind a wheel, or in front of people. So, take control of your choices today? They won’t always be the best choices but if we keep working on making better choices, then we can slowly become better. Drive safe?

I hope you find whatever you’re looking for. Have the day you want.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain